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The team from Charity Navigator, the nation's largest independent charity evaluator and leading donor advocate, shares their thoughts on emerging nonprofit-sector issues and offers tips to better inform your intelligent giving decisions.

Friday, July 14, 2017

Charity Navigator Analyst Interview: Brittany Delaney

It's #FriYay once again, and we're talking to Associate Program Analyst, Brittany Delaney, about her work for Charity Navigator — including her undying love for cookbooks. As an Associate Program Analyst, Brittany is in charge of a certain subset of charities that we rate at Charity Navigator. We asked her a few questions for your #FridayReads.

What’s your nickname?

Britt or B (my husband thinks this is funny)

What’s your favorite animal video?

Anything having to do with Corgi’s, but especially this “Corgi Flop” video.

What’s the best part of working at Charity Navigator?

Hands down — the people. I have never worked in an office environment where the employees are so passionate and committed to what they do. It is not just another job to my colleagues, but a genuine desire to make the nonprofit sector a better and stronger force.

What’s the best question about Charity Navigator that you’ve ever gotten?

I had a friend ask me to explain in more depth what exactly I (we) do, and once that clarification hit, they were shocked and amazed! Prior to asking for that clarification, they were unaware that something like CN existed and were so thankful that we are the ones making sure organizations are committed to being as transparent as possible and that they are being financially responsible.

What you love most about your role at Charity Navigator?

My role at CN gives me the opportunity to interact with all different charities on a daily basis. I enjoy that interaction and being able to help an organization better themselves.Once a charity finds out they are going from a 3 star to a 4 star, the amount of joy and appreciation they have brings that much more joy to my day-to-day routine.

What’s your favorite office memory?

My favorite office memory would have to be an off-site retreat we had in NYC about a year ago, in which we embarked on our Strategic Plan journey. It was a day outside the office, but a very productive one in which everyone came together to focus on making the future of CN stronger and better.

Which charity set are you most passionate about and why?

I genuinely enjoy working with all of my charities, but the ones I am most passionate about are the Homeless Services charities. It is overwhelming to think about the homeless epidemic in our country, but comforting to know there are organizations determined to help those less fortunate get back on their feet.

What’s one thing you wish people knew about the charitable sector/non-profits?

That there are dozens of organizations throughout our country performing wonderful work. The common misconception that I hear frequently, is that nonprofits are just another scam. With over a million nonprofit charities here in the US, only a small handful are not committed to their mission or are poor stewards of charitable dollars. People need to remember that we are a sector that is trying very hard to save our world and make it a better place for future generations to come.

Where do you see Charity Navigator in 5 years?

With our Strategic Plan in place, and the brains behind our organization, I only see Charity Navigator growing double or even triple in size and in impact. We are a very ambitious organization who only wants to produce the best content for donors and we are definitely on that path.

What’s a secret skill you have that no one knows about?

I have pretty strong cooking skills. I have been cooking since I was 10 years old and for the most part, taught myself how to cook (with some help from the Food Network everyday after school — shoutout to Ina Garten!). Cooking is a huge stress reliever for me, and cooking for family and friends brings me immense joy. LAME ALERT: I read cookbooks for fun!